A Dancer's Heart
by AwkwardWriter1997
Summary: Laney Grace knew nothing except loneliness and abuse. Her only escape was dancing. That is until her father pushes her too far, and she is forced to run off. Luckily for her, she stumbles upon a school where a certain fair haired boy resides. Will she finally be accepted or will things at Hogwarts make life harder on her? Draco/OC
1. Prologue

_**A Dancer's Heart: Prologue**_

**June 1980**

A frantic woman stormed the hall's of a popular school by the name of Hogwarts. The students of the school stopped to stare at the strange woman. They also stopped to see if they could catch a glimpse or two at the light pink bundle in her arm. Their attempts didn't work, considering how fast her walk was.

The woman made it to her destination, and whispered something to the large gargoyle. The large statue groaned as it began spinning its way into a spiral staircase. The woman didn't even wait for the staircase to stop moving when she hopped on.

"Miss Grace." Dumbledore looking up from the envelope with a look of surprise. "What do I owe this surprise?"

The woman, Grace, looked at the bundle in her arms. Dumbledore held his arms out, and she passed the blankets to him. He lifted one arm, brushing away the corner of the pink blanket. He gasped as it revealed a sleeping baby girl. Her cheeks and eyelids were a light rosy color, and tufts of black hair peaked out from underneath the blanket.

"Who, Grace?" Dumbledore said with a tight voice.

"One of _them_, the dark hair is just a weird coincidence." She replied in an equealy tight voice. She knew that Dumbledore was refering to the Dark Lord to being the potential father. His obsession with her was unnerving to everyone, but Grace had already been smitten with someone else. Unfortunately that someone else had falsely returned her feelings. "I need you to hide her for me, Albus."

"Why?"

"_He_ is searching for her. For some reason, he is convinced it is his child."

"What am I supposed to do with her?"

"Take her away from this world. I don't want here to ever be involved in the magic world." She ran a hand through her hair and a pained look came over her face. "But she needs some sort of _protection_."

Dumbledore rested a hand on the worried woman's shoulder. "I will handle this. What is the child's name?"

Grace looked confused for a second. "I was so stressed I didn't even... I didn't even name _my_ child."

There was a crash from somewhere in the castle. Dumbledore glanced at the door before urging her to apparate out of there. Whatever had gone on outside, it never reached Dumbledore's location. There was a final crack, and Grace was gone. There was a small cry from the baby in his arms. It started off small then turned into a wail, as though she knew that her mother was gone.

"Hush, little one." He whispered, holding her close. "Hush, little Laney Grace."

,*.

Grace watched as Dumbledore left, and silently began to follow them. The journey was a short one, but it was long enough to make her suspicious. There was a small cabin outside of the shield. Dumbledore walked up to the door, set her baby down, and knocked. He quickly made his escape right as the door opened.

A woman dressed in a simple night robe walked out, nearly tripping over the baby in front of her. The woman gasped and picked up the child.

"Kimberly?" A gruff voice called. "What is it?"

"It's a...It's a baby."

A large man came up behind the woman and stared down at the baby. He said, confused, "Laney Grace?"

Grace closed her eyes for a few seconds and sent a silent thank you to Dumbledore. She began her journey back down the trail, but an invisible force sent her sprawling forward. She barely had enough time to recollect herself before another shot hit her. Her body went flying before tumbling into the fresh June grass.

"You're a fool, Grace Maddox." A deep voice rasped in the darkness of the trees. "You thought you could run away, and _get_ _away_ with it."

The voice of what used to be Tom Riddle, chuckled as he stepped into the light of the moon. Grace attempted to lift herself up, but Voldemort kicked her side so that she toppled over once more. He cackled, "You could say I'm disappointed in you, Gracie."

"Why?" She coughed out.

The dark man gripped her honey blonde curls in his fist. "I could have given you _anything._ Love. Money. _Power_. What more could you possibly want?"

"Someone who isn't hungry for power." She said, quietly.

He glared. "You spoiled brat."

He threw her head back down, and gazed out into the trees. It was almost as if he were expecting the new born girl to come flying through the limbs and into his arms. Voldemort only wished it could be so easy. Voldemort plucked his wand from his robes, and he began to twirl it in between his fingers. The motion was so simple, yet the Dark Lord made it look fluent, elegant.

"What am I going to do with you, Gracie?" He murmured, almost sounding human. The twirling stopped and he gripped his want tightly. "Should I take pity on you, or should I hex you right here, right now?"

"You already know what you want, Tom."

"If you call me that name again, I will have no choice, but to hex you."

"Just do it, _Tom_."

The man turned around, glaring once more. "I am doing this because you asked me to, Gracie. When I tell _our_ daughter what happened to you, I will make sure she see's that you wanted it to happen."

"You will never find her. I have hidden her so well that you will lose whatever is left of your mind trying to find her. She is hidden now, and she will stay hidden until you have no choice, but to give up."

"We could have been happy together." Voldemort said, with a sigh through his nose. "No matter..." He said slowly. He quickly spun around and with a snap yelled, "_Avada Kedavra!"_

,*.

_**Fifteen years later**_

"Laney Grace!" A frustrated dance teacher yelled once more. A girl with hair as dark as night, looked up with startled sea blue eyes. Her pale cheeks brightened red due to the fact that everyone in the class was staring at her as if she had grown two heads. "Your father pays a lot for you to come to this school! I believe that he would be very _unhappy_ to hear that you spend most of your days daydreaming away!"

At the mention of her father, Laney Grace subconciously pulled the sleeves of her shirt further down her arms. Even with the shirt and a tank top, she still felt as though her classmates could see the bruises and scars her father have left her with.

Laney pushed the toe of her Pointe shoes into the wooden floor and mumbled an apology. The teacher waved her off, and she continued the lesson by making all of the girls lift to their toes. Laney sighed as she circled her arms in front of her and assumed the position. She _loved_ to dance, but when she was in class it was nearly impossible for her to pay attention. If she were alone, it would be like she had joined a famous ballet and she were trying to win the leading role.

She blew a simple curl out of her face while grabbing her dancing bag. This was her least favorite time of the day. Ballet was the last class of her school day, and then she would be driven home by the bus. When she would arrive home, there would be fresh groceries and a recipe sheet laid out on the table. Then Laney would begin making supper. It was a simple routine. Most of the time, if she did something correct, it would sometimes get her out of a harsh beating. _Sometimes_.

"You know, Lane, if you keep drifting off during class, Madame Brooks will give you a weeks worth of detention _and _Saturday school." Laney's best friend, Baylee Valentine, said trotting next to her. Baylee loved to poke fun at Laney's terrible attempts at staying mentally aware during class."What magical place did your head take you to now?"

"No where from the norm." She said, pushing a laugh out. Baylee knew that Laney had constant, vivid dreams of a far off place. Somewhere that held so much magic in the walls that one had to be there to understand the tale. The first few times the dream had occured, the duo had brushed it off as a fond dream, but then it became that Laney was having the same constant dream about the same was a mystery that the girls kept among themselves.

"Of course." Baylee smiled at her small friend. "Question. At this magical castle, is there a prince riding a white horse?"

Laney thought about the tall fair haired boy she would sometimes see in her dreams. Of course he was far away every time she saw him, but she didn't have to be close to him to know that he was devastatingly handsome. Not feeling the need to talk about the things that made Laney even more _strange_, she brushed it off with a shrug. "Not really. I have to go if I hope to catch the bus."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Laney nodded with a smile, "I don't know where else I would be."

It was true. Once Kit Cohen returned from work, no one was allowed to leave the house. Laney's mother, Kimberly, would serve Kit however many beers he wanted while Laney tried her best to blend in the shadows. Laney often felt guilty that her mother would often take the beating for her, but it wasn't like Laney could show up at a school where she _dances_ unable to dance. It would make paying for her to go completely useless. She sent a tiny prayer that her father wanted nothing more than to get drunk and pass out once he got home. A girl can only hope...

,*.

That night Laney was elbow deep in soap and dishes. She tried scrubbing to distract her from the fact that had accidentally let the roast cook too long. So when her father pointed out the meat was dry, she immediately began to panic. It was the only thing he said before he went to sit in the arm chair in the living room. Her mother placed a hand over Laney's, but it did nothing for her nerves.

Laney flinched when she heard the first slap. She closed her eyes and kept them closed as her father's shouts started to get louder. She could hear her mother frantically muttering apologies and excuses for things that weren't even _her_ fault. Her mother let out another sob as another slap cracked through the air.

Laney turned around to see her father landing punches anywhere he could on her mother. He was going to kill her if he didn't stop. Laney dropped the plate she was holding, and launched herself across the room. Her small fingers gripped her fathers wrist, and she attempted to yank him away.

"What the hell?" He growled, turning his attention to his daughter. Laney dropped her arm and began taking steps away. It didn't matter because her father was able to launch his arm out and yank her back to him. "Now, what did you think you were doing?"

Laney stuttered, "You were going to kill her, if you didn't stop."

Kit looked at his daughter then his motionless wife. He remained unfazed by it and looked back at his daughter. "She'll be fine. But you? I don't know."

He shook his head. "How dare you act out against me? I always knew you were going to be an ungrateful, little bitch."

Her feet were kicked from underneath her, and her father slammed her into the wall. Stars exploded in her vision. Her father tossed her again, only this time her head hit the corner of the table. Hot blood trickled down the side of her face. He took one last blow to her side before exiting the room.

A small hand smoothed back Laney's hair. Laney's mother let out a sob. "I'm so sorry, Laney."

"Stop that!" Her mother's hand disappeared with a jerk. There was a loud thud and a loud whistling. Laney looked over to see her father with a belt clamped tightly in his grip. The belt it Kimberly with a loud crack.

"Mom..." Laney whispered. The woman looked at her daughter with a pained look. She closed her eyes for a second before opening them again. Her lips formed one word. One word that changed her life. _Run_.

Laney managed to crawl towards the door. Her hand clasped the door handle when she was yanked back. Laney grabbed the umbrella from its holder before twisting her body, and whacking her father upside the head with it. The unexpected forced caused him to drop back a few paces. It gave her enough time to get to her feet and run out the door.

The crisp September air welcomed Laney as she sprinted down the hill beside her house. Twigs dug into her feet, and branches cut into her cheeks, arms, and neck. It didn't slow her down, it pumped her to move faster.

She could hear the hard thump of her father's footsteps behind her. Laney pushed until she felt as if she pushed through barrier of some sort. Laney turned, surprised to see her father pushing against an invisible force. Laney licked her dry lips before turning and running forward. There was a building in the distance, luckily for her it was lit. She could see shadows moving in the windows as she got closer.

Opening the doors to the building was like moving a boulder. The blood from her head was still running down her face, and the blood from the cuts on her arms were slowly drying up. The amount of blood loss was causing the hallway she was standing in now spin around and around. The people in the hallway stopped and stared. Whispers began to rise from the crowd.

A boy with fair hair, dressed in green and black, walked forward with a wooden stick pointed in her direction. He spoke to her, but it sounded as if he were speaking under water. He took a step closer, and she took an unstable step back. He spoke again, but it fell on deaf ears. Laney's world began to swirl until it was a swirl of brown until it finally went black.

_**First HP story, let me know how you feel about it! :) **_


	2. Chapter 1

_**A Dancer's Heart: Ch. 1**_

__The air shifted in the dining hall, even Dumbledore seemed to slow his eating. Draco set his fork down with a look of discomfort. Pansy Parkinson placed her hand over his while looking around. Her pug nose made it seem as though she were sniffing the air for a clue.

"Something is off." She said, confused. Malfoy watched as Filch nearly trotted towards the fool that Hogwarts called headmaster. It obviously wasn't as important as when the troll was in the dungeon because Filch was able to keep his mouth shut until he reached the table.

Draco gripped his wand and quietly murmured, "Auxilium audire."

The conversation at the professor's table was immediately loud enough for Draco to hear them.

"What is it?" Dumbledore asked Filch quietly.

"There is an intruder on the grounds. They are heading towards the castle."

Draco's head snapped up right as Potter's did. Draco jumped from the table and created a speed walk to the entrance hall. Parkinson and Zabini flanked him while Granger and Weasley flanked Potter. At the abrupt leaving, the students at other tables became interested and began following after them.

They all crowded in the hall just in time for the door to open. Draco drew his wand, but faltered when the door revealed a girl. A girl cover in _blood_.

She couldn't be more than 158 centimeters (5'2). Her long black hair had twigs and dried blood stuck in it's loose curls. The girls eyes were an electric blue, but, from what Draco could assume, were hooded from the blood loss. No matter though, Draco emerged from the crowd and raised his wand.

"Who are you?" He questioned. The stranger looked at him with a confused look on her face, showing no sign that she had heard him. He took a step toward her, and she took an uneasy step backwards. He spoke again, "Who are you?"

A green tint appeared on the girls face. When she began to sway, Draco began to slowly walk toward her. But when she began falling over, he sped up his speed. He managed to catch the top half of her body before her head hit the floor. The students watching began whispering and gasping.

"Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said, bending down to their level. A look of confusion and recognition washed over his face as he looked at the girl in Draco's arms. "Take her to the hospital wing. Tell Madame Pomfrey to keep a close watch on her."

"But, sir." The Granger girl, said coming forward. "What if she is a muggle?"

"It's impossible, Ms. Granger." Dumbledore stood to his full height. "I know this girl from a long time ago."

Malfoy lifted the small girl into his arms then began making his way to the medical tower. Her breathing came out in short, scratchy pants. He had never seen someone who looked like her. Someone so small and frail. It was disgusting. If she were to go into Hogsmeade right now, she would be taken advantage as soon as she stepped into the village limits.

"Oh, my." Madame Pomfrey gasped at the bloodied girl in Malfoy's arms. "What happened?"

"I don't know. She showed up this way."

Madame Pomfrey led them to a cot closest to the desk where Madame Pomfrey sat during the day. He placed the girl into the cot, taking notice of the blood she left on his robes. He rolled his eyes at the old woman fussing over the girl. "Dumbledore said to keep a close watch on her."

"I will." She said before forcing him out. Draco glared at the door that was just slammed in his face. He contemplated going in and telling that woman what was on his mind, but eventually he decided not to and stormed off to his room.

,*.

"Hush... I think she's waking up..." A soft voice murmured as Laney's eyes began to flutter. Three people were standing above Laney's head, all of them very different looking.

The woman had brilliant green eyes, and thick graying hair that was perched in a bun on top of her head. One of the two men there had chin length black hair, the color oddly similar to Laney's, and his black eyes pierced into her own. When they locked eyes, a strange look of recognition and disbelief passed over his pale face. She felt a pull in her chest. Something warm blossomed inside of her. She shook the feeling of knowing and moved to the next face.

She felt another tug of recognition. His long silver hair was kept neat, and his blue eyes held so much tenderness that Laney felt like she could cuddle up inside and forever be safe. It was a look that she always hoped her grandfather would have. Of course both of her parents parents had either passed on or lived in the states. Not that they wanted to be surrounded by father's constant drinking and anger. They sent her birthday gifts anyways.

"Good morning, miss." The silver haired man said, his voice gentle, soothing. "How are you feeling?"

Laney shifted in the bed she was laying on, but she stopped when pain shot through her back. She rasped, "Not so hot."

A nurse lady perked up at her desk upon hearing her scratchy voice. She rushed to her side and picked up a ladle that Laney hoped was filled with water. The woman pressed the rim to Laney's lips, which she gladly parted and gulped down the water. The water eased the pressure that Laney had felt in her head.

When she felt confident that she had her fill of water, she spoke again, "Where am I?"

"You are at Hogwarts," Laney's eyebrows pulled together. Hog warts? An image of a bulky hog with warts covering its face entered her head, furthering her confusion. The woman continued, "School of witchcraft and wizardry."

"Witchcraft...and wizardry?" Laney said in disbelief. "I must have pumped my head and gone to Oz."

Now it was their turn to look confused. Silver haired man spoke up, "What is Oz?"

"Are you joking with me?" She asked. "Oz? Like Wizard of Oz?"

The woman spoke up, "Is that a school nearby?"

"No..."

The group sat in silence for a long time. Laney wondered how these people had not heard of one of the greatest films made in the 1900's. The strangers wondered why they had never heard of this place called Oz. Dumbledore was the first one to crack the silence.

"Young lady." He started. "Have you ever heard of magic?"

"Multiple times. People often say love is magic."

"That is a different magic, child." The man spoke gently. "I'm talking about spells and flying brooms and wands."

"I've only read about it, sir." Laney said, wishing he would get to the point.

"We are in a castle filled with those things. The key of why I am telling you this is because this castle is protected with a spell that prevents normal humans from entering."

"Normal humans?"

"Only wizards and witches can enter this barrier. Do you understand?"

"Are you saying that I'm a witch?"

"There is no other explanation."

"But my parents, they would have told me wouldn't they?"

"If you are who I think you are..." The man looked into her eyes. "Then you were adopted. I was the one who hid you away, I believe."

The woman and dark haired man looked at the man as if he had grown five heads. The woman looked somewhat betrayed, "Albus? How could you not tell us?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell. When I never heard from Grace again, I knew something had gone wrong."

The dark haired man snapped his head to Albus. "Grace Maddox?"

Albus gave a short nod, and the man looked like he was going to be sick. He gave Laney a look of disgust before fleeng the infirmary. Laney looked at Albus. "Is Maddox my real last name?"

"Is your name Laney Grace?"

"Yes."

Albus smiled at her. "I named you."

"Named me? You mean my mother gave me up and didn't even bother giving me a name?" A feeling of hate filled Laney's chest as she thought about the woman who gave birth to her. Because of her, she was placed in an abusive home, where her only happiness involved soft music and her leaping in the air.

"There is no need for hate, Laney Grace, for there is not enough time in the world to hate people. Your mother was in trouble when she brought you to me."

"Who is my father?"

"Your mother never told me. That isn't important right now. What _is_ important is what can we do to make sure you are safe and healthy."

"Which is?"

"You stay here." He said, firmly.

"Stay in a place where I know absolutely no one and know absolutely zero magic?" Laney said with disbelief.

The woman spoke up, "We will have someone tutor you, and have them help you catch up. You will attend normal sixth year classes then when those are done you shall meet up with who we want to tutor you, and they will help you catch up."

"Okay." _Anything to avoid going back to Kit,_ Laney thought. She knew somewhere deep inside of her that the woman she had called mom over the years was dead. If it meant that she could stay in this new place, she would do it. Even if these people sounded crazy.

"Okay, that is enough talk for one afternoon. The poor girl needs her rest." The nurse came back over, and she forced Laney into a lying position before urging the two out of the room. Laney laid on her side facing away from the woman. She squeezed her eyes tight, but it did nothing to keep the tears from dripping down her face.

,*.

Draco wiped his hands on his pants once more as he made his way to Dumbledore's office. _There was nothing that could be wrong,_ Draco thought, feeling the dark mark burn on his arm. It was impossible for anyone to know what he had gotten over the holiday.

"You wanted to speak to me, sir." The word sir rolled off his tongue, leaving a metallic taste in his mouth. He shouldn't have to be respectful to this ponce.

"Yes, Draco. Please come in."

Draco took an uneasy step in. Dumbledore offered him a lemon drop before continuing with the reason why he summoned him.

"The girl, Laney Grace is her name, is awake and doing well. She is a witch who seemed to get lost along the way. She grew up a muggle."

"What does this have to do with me, sir?"

"I need a tutor for her. Someone who can teach her everything that you have been taught over the years."

"Wouldn't Granger be a better tutor?"

"Miss Granger took far too advanced classes. We wouldn't want to overwhelm Miss Laney Grace."

Draco nearly cringed at the name. _Laney Grace_, it was so pretty and so innocent. He thought of the small girl he had carried the night before. The name seemed to fit her perfectly. Even if it made him want to vomit.

"I see."

"Is it too much to ask of you?"

"No, sir. It would be my honor." He forced out.

"Wonderful. Since you and Miss Laney will be spending a lot of time together over the year, will you do the honors of touring her through Hogsmeade and buying her supplies?"

"Of course, professor."

"The money is in Laney's mothers vault, but I have informed them that her daughter is going to be coming by to pick some of it up."

"All right. I will go to the hospital wing and introduce myself."

Draco's walk to the hospital was a short one, considering he was lost in his thoughts. Why couldn't he have just said no? Surely someone else could have been in charge of the little muggle born. He smoothed his hair and robes before bursting into the room.

The small girl jumped nearly a foot in the air and whipped away from the mirror she was facing. He was struck by how beautiful she was. Her thick eye lashes fluttered as she blinked at him, her light blue eyes shimmered in the sunlight that beamed from the window, and her black curls fell gently down to her waist. Draco swallowed harshly, telling himself that she was just a girl.

"Admiring ourselves, are we?" He said, smirking. "What is that quote? The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance?"

The girl gripped the sweater's hem, revealing a pair of shorts too small for her. He smirked at the too big of a sweater, and too small of shorts for her. A dark blush painted her cheeks as she took a step away from the mirror.

"I wasn't admiring myself." She murmured quietly. She unconciously touched something on her stomach. "I was just... looking."

"I didn't ask what you were doing."

Her eyes widened at his cold tone. He walked closer to her, noting the light spray of brown freckles across her nose.

"I'm Draco Malfoy, I'm going to be to be your tutor this year." He said with a simple smirk on his face.

"I'm Laney... Maddox?"

"Maddox? Are you confused or something?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you said it as if you were questioning it."

"I just learned that it was my name a few hours ago so..." Laney didn't like this guy. How could they pick someone who was such a jerk?

"Sounds like a personal problem. First tip on being in the wizarding world? Be confident in who you are." Draco spun on his heel. "Now find some _appropriate_ clothing, and meet me in the Entrance Hall. We are going shopping."

When he shut the door behind him, Laney plopped on her bed and blew out a long breath. _Who was this kid?_

_** First chapter! Tell me what you think! **_


	3. Chapter 2

_**A Dancer's Heart: Ch.2**_

Keeping up with Draco Malfoy was nearly impossible. He didn't acknowledge her presence as he walked into tall building. It was dark and weathered with large windows on either side of the door. There was a chime as the couple walked through the door. Laney's eyes widened as she took in the many shelves.

"Wow." She whispered.

Draco eyed her. "What?"

"There's so many. If only it were filled with books." She answered, running her fingers along the dusty boxes. Laney pushed one of the boxes too hard, and it sent a group of them tumbling to the floor. She looked at the fallen boxes with dismay before she started gathering them. A shriek left her lips when she came back up and a man was staring back at her. The boxes clattered back to the floor.

"Laney?" Draco nearly yelled, bounding up to where she was standing, his wand pulled out and ready to send anyone packing. He rolled his eyes at the sight of the old man. "Laney it would benefit you if you didn't yell at the man who wants to help you. Even if he is old, and probably hard of hearing."

"No need to be rude." She said, quietly. She picked up the boxes once more and placed them back on the shelf. She walked around to where the man was standing. "I'm sorry that I screamed, you startled me. "

"No worries, my dear." The old man responded while moving to greet her. "With hair and eyes like that, you must be Grace Maddox's daughter."

"I look like her?"

"Yes, except her hair was fair. The color of honey, some would say."

_Then I get my dark hair from my father._ She thought, somewhat sadly. Laney forced a smile onto her face and continued talking, "You must have guessed why I'm here by now."

"I would hope it is for a wand."

"Yes, sir." She laughed politely. Draco sent her a look of distast

e, but she shrugged it off. She watched as the man picked up a box that read **YEW, UNICORN HAIR. **The man slipped the wand into Laney's hand.

"Just flick it." He instructed.

Laney did as he said, but it sent a book on his desk flying towards Draco. Draco barely made it out of the way before it cluttered to the floor. Draco scowled in her direction, yet it didn't hold as much anger as she would assume. She let the man take the wand away, and he handed her one that read **CHERRY WOOD, PHOENIX FEATHER. **Laney deflated when it sent another set of books flying.

"Hmm." Olivander hummed as he began walking around the shop. Laney walked to the side that he hadn't been on, and tried to see if anything caught her eye. She stopped for a second at the sound of boxes clattering, but it didn't continue. Laney took a step further, and a box behind her shot from the shelf.

The wand had rolled right in front of her feet. Laney looked to see if Draco was messing with her, but he was sitting by the windows, staring out into the rain. She picked the wand up. When the wood made contact with her fingers, the lights in the shop began to flicker. Draco and Ollivander both looked at her.

"The third time is always a charm, right?" She laughed nervously. Ollivander reached down and retrieved the box from the ground. His lips thinned into a grim line.

"Yew wood with a phoenix feather. There are only three people who have enough power to posess such a wand." The way the words oozed from his mouth made Laney cringe. Draco seemed to snap into motion, and paid for the wand. "Ms. Maddox, who is your father?"

"I don't know, sir." She said, pausing at the door.

"I have only seen that color hair once in my life time."

Draco stared at Laney. Her dark ringlets seemed insignificant at first glance, but when he continued to stare the color seemed to morph into _his_.

"Come, Laney." He spoke coldly. Draco led her out into the rain. He pulled her along without aim.

,*.

After walking down a few streets, Draco finally swerved into a store. Laney looked at the sign on top of the awning. It read _Magical Menagerie_. The name meant nothing to her, but she followed Draco inside. She had to resist to clamp her hands over her ears when the screeching of animals invaded them. Owls were in hanging cages, rats scurried around the floor, and other normal house animals were in open cages.

"Draco, what are we doing here?" Laney asked, coming up from behind him.

"We are getting you a pet who can deliver letters and packages."

"Write letters? To who?"

"Your friends, I guess. Seeing as you have no family."

Laney swallowed the lump that had appeared in her throat. Images of her "father" standing over her fake mom with his belt slapping against her skin appeared like a slow slide show in her head. The backs of her eyes stung. She blinked hard, trying to make the sensation go away.

"Hey." Laney opened her eyes to see Draco staring at her. He lifted a slim finger to her cheek. She swallowed when his finger brushed a trail along her cheek. When he pulled back, she saw the single tear that had escaped.

"Thanks." She mumbled before pushing past him. Draco silently followed her around the store as she looked through the many animals they offered. He didn't speak to her, he only moved closer to her when guys tried to approach her. Laney didn't notice which Draco somewhat appreciated. She was far too busy cooing at any cute animal that passed by.

The noise made him picture her years from now. She was dressed in a simple nightgown with a silk robe draped over her shoulders was a silk robe. Her arms cradled a small baby to her body, gently bouncing it. She was murmuring over the small infant, a smile on her rosy lips.

Draco quickly shook the image from his mind. He should never feel desire for someone while the Dark Lord is rising. If the Dark Lord knew that he had someone special, not that Maddox was someone significant to him, he would dangle that person over his head.

"Aw!" Laney cried, suddenly kneeling. She scooped whatever it was into her arms then stood back up to her full height. In her arms was a small white kitten. The kitten seemed to gaze at the girl who had just picked him up.

"That one is defected, Laney." Draco said as he attempted to full the cat from her arms. Laney turned around, and his arms wound around her instead. Her back pressed against his stomach. The front of his body began to tingle at the contact which caused him to take a step back.

"He is not." She snapped. She turned around to face Draco. "He is perfect and cute. Besides, it is my choice what I pick, not yours."

At the last part, Laney stuck her tongue out at Draco. Without another word, Laney pranced off to find a collar. She ended up buying a plain green collar that had a fish as a name tag. Her mood had seemed to brighten significantly from what it had dropped to earlier on in the shop. It was almost as if she were a sun. Everywhere she went, her light seemed to touch people. It was weird.

After her purchases, Laney and Draco walked throughout the streets of Hogsmeade. Instead of walking in front of her, he decided to walk beside her. They walked without exchanging words until Draco pointed out that he had to run into the magic shop quickly.

Laney walked around, staring at the different gadgets that decorated them. Draco somewhere along the way had detached himself from Laney, and gone over to where his friends were standing. Something in Laney deflated when she realized that he came in here to ditch her. She sighed as she turned away from the group, but stopped when her body collided into another.

The bags that she had been carrying fell to the floor. The person who she had bumped into fell onto their behind. Laney rubbed her head where she had hit it against the strangers shoulder. She squinted one eye open to see a boy with black hair in front of her.

"I'm sorry." She groaned.

"Don't worry about it." The boy said gruffly. "You just caught me off guard."

"I tend to do that." She smiled then offered him her hand. His larger hand swallowed her small one, which made his grip slip when she made a sad attempt at pulling him up.

"Sorry!"

"Here, I've got it." The boy laughed as he pushed himself to his feet. He was a good bit taller than her, so she had to tilt her head up to smile at him. "I'm Harry Potter, by the way."

"I'm Laney Grace Maddox, but you can just call me Laney."

"It's nice to meet you, Laney. I've never seen you around before."

"I was hidden from the magic world until a few days ago. It was definitely an eye opener."

"You were the girl from the Entrance Hall, right?"

"Huh?"

"You're the girl who passed out in the hallway the other night. I was there, but Malfoy made it to the front before I could."

Laney thought back that night to the fair haired boy who had been talking to her before she had blacked out. Obviously, she hadn't been able to put two and two together that Malfoy and that other boy had been the same person. She had to resist face palming.

"I am. I..."She swallowed as a lie began making its way up her throat. "I was attacked when I was walking home and running through the woods was the only plan I could come up with. I somehow managed up at the school."

"Have you been sorted into your house yet?"

"No. Mr. Dumbldore told me that I should just get my school supplies then I will be sorted once I get back." She glanced back at where Draco and his possy used to be. "Draco is supposed to be tutoring me, so that I won't make a complete fool of myself."

Harry chuckled slightly, "First lesson of your Hogwarts life, Laney, is that the adults at school are referred as professors, not miss or mister."

Laney sighed. "I'll catch the hang of it eventually, right?"

"You will as long as you don't truck into people." He teased lightly.

"It was an accident," She defended even though there was a smile plastered on her face.

"If you are finished now, Maddox, I would like to be on my way. My day does not revolve around you. I have better things to do than watch you flit around from store to store." Laney could feel Draco's body just barely brushed against her back. None the less, it still sent shivers down her back.

"If you want to leave, then just say so, Draco." Laney said calmly, a smile on her face. Draco stared at her. _Does this girl ever stop smiling?_ He wondered.

"I want to leave."

"Fine then." Laney turned to Harry. "Goodbye, Harry. It was nice meeting you."

"You too, Laney. See you around."

She waved as Draco dragged her from the shop. The rain had stopped, and the sun was shining through. Draco watched as the sun turned Laney's bouncing curls into locks of dark chocolate. The fell down her back as though it were chocolate syrup. Draco's fingers twitched at the urge of running his fingers through it.

His walking slowed at the thought of _touching_ her. He mentally scolded himself then told himself that he was to never think that way again.

,*.

"Okay, Miss Maddox," Professor McGonagall began while grabbing a hat from one of the shelves in the room, "This is pretty simple. This is the sorting hat, its job is to sort you into the house in which it feels you belong in."

"My fate pretty much lays in the hands of a hat?" Laney asked skeptically.

"Its done well before, I trust it can do well for you too."

The hat nearly swallowed Laney's head whole when McGonagall dropped it onto her head.

_Hello?_ She asked

_You are certainly different from other heads I have sat on_... A mocking voice echoed through her head. _You are a mix of things, yet you have no concrete personality._

_I don't have multiple personalities..._ She said, somewhat offended.

_You are brave, yet you are kind and loyal. You are smart, and you are resourceful. Even if you contain all these abilities, you can only be sorted into one house, you know. _

_ I don't know where I belong. I never belong anywhere._

_ That is where you are mistaken, Laney Grace Maddox. You are capable of many things. There is a strength that burns within you. That only means one thing..._

There was dramatic pause before the hat cried out, "Gryffindor!"

**That took a lot longer than planned. Yikes! **


	4. Chapter 3

_**A Dancer's Heart Ch. 3**_

Laney stared at the moving picture in front of her, her chest heaving up in down. First, she was confronted with stairs that moved from platform to platform. Then she was recieving snappy comments from pictures who were unhappy about her roaming around late at night. And now she had to deal with the large woman in the fram who would not stop singing.

"Please, Miss!" Laney snapped. Her patience was well worn thin, and the ache in her feet was becoming prominent with each passing second. "I need to get in there before I get in trouble."

"Miss Maddox. Screaming at paintings because _you_ are out after curfew?" A deep voice mocked as they walked up behind her. "I could give you a detention for this."

Laney turned to see Draco smirking at her. His wand was twirling in his slim, pale fingers.

"It isn't my fault that she won't let me in."

"You should have been on time then."

Laney's shoulders sagged, "I know."

Laney turned away from him, and began muttering something to the Fat Lady. The lady disregarded Laney and continued belching out notes that made every hair on Draco's body stand on point. Laney's right hand came up to run itself through her long hair.

"Can I _please_ come in?" She asked, finally stomping her foot against the ground.

Draco nearly choked on the chuckle that tried to force itself from his throat. Laney still heard the sound and caught his amused smirk before he could clear his face of it. She smiled brightly at him before rolling her eyes.

"Smiling, Mr. Malfoy? Don't crack your face, your fan club would just hate to hear that your handsome stone face cracked because you smiled."

Draco was stunned. _Had that sassy comment really come from miss Play Nice All the Time?_ He straightened his shoulders with a smirk on his face. "So you think I'm handsome?"

"I would have to be mentally ill to think otherwise, but of course, you don't need my input to know that you are."

His pride swelled upon hearing that Laney found him attractive. He would have to be mentally ill to ignore the fact that she was also very attractive.

"I'd say the same to you, but it wouldn't mean much. Even Potter is better looking after I have to stare at Parkinson for a long period of time."

She rolled her eyes once more, and opened her mouth to respond, but the woman behind her cut her off. "Well, are you going in or not? I have better things to do than listen to the two of you flirt."

_Flirt_. The word was disgusting. It was Pansy and her pack of skanks did to the men of Slytherin. Draco Malfoy did _not_ flirt. He simply charmed the woman he wished to seek. Not that Maddox was someone he was interested in seeing. She was simply an interest. A toy, nonetheless, that was new and entertaining.

Laney muttered the password to the woman and she swung open. Laney turned once she had stepped into the tunnel.

"Goodnight, Malfoy. I'll see you tomorrow."

Laney was surprised at what she saw when she was at the end of the tunnel. All of the Gryffindor students were standing in the commons with large smiles on their faces. Harry was in the front with a curly haired girl and a red headed boy. He waved his hand in a partial wave, almost as if he didn't know if she would recognize him or not. Laney smiled brightly at him.

"Welcome to Gryffindor, Laney." The girl said with a smile on her face. She looked at the red head with soft eyes. "I'm Hermoine Granger, and this is Ron Weasley. We are Gryffindor's prefects."

"Prefects?"

"We enforce the rules for our house for the Head Boy and Head Girl. "

Laney sighed. "There is so much to remember."

Hermoine placed a hand on the other girl's arm with a laugh. "It gets easier, trust me."

"You would say that." The red head snorted. "You knew everything even before you showed up to Hogwarts."

The trio chuckled to each other, and Laney suddenly felt as if a bubble had formed around them. A bubble that she wasn't apart of. She swallowed the bit of sadness that had swelled in her throat and began making her way to the back of the room.

Along the way people congratulated her on being a Gryffindor and how they were excited to get to know her. No matter how many smiles or warm greetings Laney got, she couldn't shake the feeling of being left out. It made her long for Baylee. Baylee and her had been friends for so long, and now Laney has disappeared without a trace. She had promised that she would be at school the next day, but Laney was here instead.

Guilt clogged her chest, and made her ache for a bed even more. The night before she had been sleeping under the influence of medication that left a bad taste in her mouth and gave her crazy dreams. The thought of curling underneath a blanket made her legs weak.

"Thank you for greeting me, but I would really love a goodnight's rest before starting classes tomorrow." Laney forced a yawn out of her mouth, which was quickly followed by an actual yawn. A girl showed her to the rooms where the girls slept. She said that the boys slept on the right side, but they were forbidden to ever be in each other's dormitories.

That wouldn't be an issue for Laney. Guys had never shown true interest in Laney. It had always been Baylee who guys would chase after. Laney got used to guys trying to talk to her so that they could learn more about Bay. It had gotten to the point where she stopped caring. She learned to accept that she would be stuck with her father fir the rest of her life. Stumbling upon Hogwarts only changed the fact that she wouldn't deal with him.

"Thank you...?" Laney ended the statement with a guilty blush. The girl had been helping her set up her bunk, but she had never asked for her name.

"Parvati." She said with a smile.

"Thank you, Parvati."

"You're welcome, Laney. I will wake you up tomorrow for breakfast. Classes will begin after breakfast, so you should make sure you grab your things before leaving."

Laney nodded with a smile still on her face. Parvati left without another word. Laney quickly dressed for bed in the clothes that Dumbledore had managed to recieve from home. She stared at the bed curtains that were beside her head. Her eyes drifted closed as her eyes traced the threading pattern.

,*.

Potions was the first class that day. Hermoine told her that there was a new professor instead of the one who was now teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Apparently, he was a person who favored the Slytherins and was constantly deducting points from the Gryffindor house. But thankfully, this year it was someone who loved the Gryffindor house, but wasn't biased between the houses.

The Slytherin and Gryffindor students crowded at the back of the classroom. Laney could see Draco out of the corner of her eye. He was standing in the middle of his circle of friends. His undershirt was untucked and gave him a sexy school boy look. Draco looked in her direction, and she quickly diverted her attention the the pudgy teacher flitting around the room.

Draco could tell that Laney's gaze was on him, but he tried to keep his focus on Nott and Goyle. He knew that if he even looked in the direction his friends would question why he was looking at the Gryffindors. He spared a glance and only had enough time to notice that Laney's usual curls were tied back into a french braid.

Draco turned back to his friends, but they were paying attention to whatever Slughorn was saying. He looked back at Laney. Her face was slightly turned towards him, but her focus was clearly on Slughorn. Draco couldn't understand why she captivated him so much. He had met plenty of pretty girls in his life. Astoria Greengrass was one of his picks for his future betrothed. She was the Slytherin princess, yet she didn't hold that special spark. Was it because Laney was the only person who didn't look at him as if he were a criminal who belonged in Azkaban?

Malfoy's concentration was broken when Potter and Weaslebee stomped into the room like they owned the place. Slughorn turned around with a surprised noise.

"Ah, Harry my boy, I was beginning to worry. You brought someone with us, I see."

"Ron Weasley, sir."

The girl next to Laney shifted around with an excited shuffle. Hermoine sent the girl an annoyed, almost jealous glare. Laney looked from the girl to Hermoine to Ron with a confused look on her face. _Yikes_.

"But I'm dead awful at potions, you see. A menace actually, so I'm just going to-" Ron tried to back away, but Harry caught his arm.

"Nonsense." Slughorn dismissed. "We will get you sorted out. Any friends of Harry's is a friend of mine. Get out your books."

"Actually I don't have my book yet, neither does Ron."

Slughorn waved them off once more. "No worry, get one from the cupboard. Now as I was saying, I have prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas of what these might be?"

There was hardly a beat of silence between the question and when Hermoine's hand shot into the hair. The loose hairs from Laney's braid tickled her cheek when the breeze went by.

"Yes, miss...?"

"Granger, sir." She walked to the pots in front of her. "That one there is a veritaserum; it is a truth telling serum. And that one there is a polyjuice potion, it is terribly tricky to make. This one amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world. It is rumored to smell differently to each person and what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass, new parchment, and..." Hermoine seemed to get flustered for a second before continuing, "Spearmint toothpaste."

Laney could smell things that appealed to her from where she was standing. She could smell freshly baked cookies, a book that had spent years in a coffee shop, and a cologne that was sweet yet spicy. Laney licked her lips and attempted to snatch herself from the haze of scents that had wrapped her up.

Slughorn spoke, and it seemed to break everyone from their trance. "Now amortentia doesn't create actual love. That would be impossible, but it does create a powerful infatuation or obsession. And for that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room."

All the girls seemed to give a disappointed sigh when Slughorn put the lid back onto the potion. Pansy thought of the different ways she could give that potion to Draco. Through chocolate, a drink, a dessert. What if she could convince him to take it willingly? It would certainly get his mind off of that Maddox girl. There wasn't even anything special about her. Of course she had freckles and dimples, but Pansy had _money_ and was a _known_ pureblood. That stupid git.

"Sir." Pavarti spoke up. "You haven't told us what that one is."

"Oh, yes. What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion called Felix Felicus. It is commonly referred to as-"

"Liquid luck." Hermoine interupted.

"Yes, Miss Granger. Liquid luck."

"Desperately tricky to make, disastrous should you get it wrong. One sip, and you will find that all your endeavours will succeed." Draco perked up at the sound. His mission would go perfectly if he could get his hands on that potion. "At least until the effects wear off. This is what I offer each of you today. One tiny vial of liquid luck to the student in the hour that remains manages to brew an acceptable draught of living death. The recipes of which can be found on page ten of your books. Only once did a student manage to brew a potion of sufficient quality to win this price. Nonetheless good luck to you all, let the brewing commence!"

Everyone except for Laney rushed to a table with their friends. Everywhere she looked there were tables full of smiling faces.

"Laney!" A girl squealed to her right. Laney looked to see a girl with wavy brown hair, green eyes, and a turned up nose came prancing towards her. A faded memory of her standing behind Draco when she first arrived at Hogwarts surfaced in her mind. "I am so glad to see that you're okay! When you came through the doors covered in blood, I was worried you were going to make it."

Laney hesitated. "Thank you."

"I'm Pansy Parkinson, prefect girl of Slytherin." Pansy grabbed Laney's hand that had been resting by her side and forcefully shook it. "Please come sit with us."

Pansy clenched her hand around Laney's as she dragged her over to the table where Draco and two other guys were sitting. Pansy plopped herself in the stool next to Draco then once again forced Laney into the stool next to her. Across from her, a large, pudgy boy smiled a creepy smile at her. She forced her face to smile at him. She looked at the dark skinned boy sitting next to the creepy one. The look on his face told Laney that he automatically looked down on her for not being in Slytherin. Laney continued looking until her gaze rested on Draco. He was already looking back at her.

"Drakie." Pansy whined, causing his stare to turn to her. It was an ugly awakening. Pansy wasn't an ugly girl, but she was like the others. Draco had no taste for girls who found joy in painting their faces with makeup. There was nothing unique about her. "I don't know how to do it."

"That's probably because you need to open your book first." He scowled, looking at her closed textbook. Laney tilted her head forward and rolled her eyes.

It took her a few tries, but eventually Laney got the hang of it. She realized that some of the rules in the book were incorrect. When she finished before everyone else at her table, she felt something stir in her chest. She may not be correct, but she was able to complete the task without the teacher yelling or threatening detention. A small smile touched her lips. Maybe she had gained the ability to do potions from one of her parents.

Draco stared at Maddox, wondering what was going through her brain. She had long past finished her assignment, and she was staring at the cauldron with a look of pride and wonder. A small smile brightened her face. Draco swallowed, he knew this girl had gone through some things when she lived with her muggle parents. He could see it whenever she had moments to herself. Her expression would be so dark then out of no where she would smile. It was weird. _She_ was weird.

"Miss Maddox, I trust you are finished." Slughorn said, coming up from behind her. She nodded, and Slughorn gave her a smile. She smiled back at him, but it made his own smile faulter. That smile. He had seen it on one of his student's long ago. Though she made it charming and warm while his other student made it charming and twisted.

"Good work." He mumbled before leaving the area.

When the testing came, Slughorn dropped a single leaf in Harry's cauldron. Slughorn gave a delighted chuckle. "Merlins' beard. It is perfect! So perfect I daresay one drop would kill us all!"

Slughorn brought Harry to the front, where he presented him with the vial of liquid luck. "Here we are, then, as promised. One vial of Felix Felicis. Congratulations, use it well."

He started a slow clap, and the Gryffindor's clapped with to show respect. But the Slytherin's stood off to the side scowling at Harry.

,*.

Laney dreaded heading to her next class. It was Defense Against the Dark Arts with the infamous Snape. She tried to calm her heart rate, but even at her old school, mean teachers managed to send her into anxiety attacks. Draco walked past her to where his name was on a folder. Her heart stopped when she saw that her name was next to his. If Draco was Snape's favorite, would that mean he would cut her some slack? A girl could only hope.

"Hey, Laney." Pansy called after she had walked in the door. Laney saw her with a bag clutched in her right hand. Pansy looked at her pleadingly. "I don't have enough room in my bag for this. Do you mind setting it in yours?"

Laney stared at the bag. "What is it?"

"It's a bottle my friend got me during her holiday in France." Pansy gave her another pleading look. Laney sighed before carefully slipping it into her own messenger bag. "I'll make sure to get it after class."

"Great."

Laney slipped onto the bench beside Draco. She gripped her quill in between her fingers. Draco stared as her creamy skin began to turn white.

"A word of advice, Maddox." He whispered into her ear. "I wouldn't act like little miss. Sunshine in this class."

She turned her head and forced herself not to gasp. The tip of her nose brushed against his. Being this close to him, she could see that his eyes were a very soft gray, almost blue color.

Draco had only been this close to girls that he slept with. Laney's eyes were so clear that even the ocean that surrounded Greece couldn't compare to the color of her eyes. Her could see a heart shaped freckle on the bride of her nose.

"If you two are done admiring each other, I would like to continue my class."

Laney swallowed before looking behind her. Snape was staring dryly at the couple, his dark eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Sorry, sir."

Laney felt as if she had been caught snogging Malfoy instead of just staring at him. There was nothing wrong with looking at him, right? If people were not meant to look at other people then the camera would not have been invented. That didn't ease anything.

A few minutes went by without a disruption of Snape's lecture. Laney leaned in her seat, but she was distracted by a small ticking noise. She looked over at Draco, who seemed unfazed by the noise. She looked at the girl next to her, who was also unfazed. Laney looked down at her bag and lifted it to her face. The ticking got louder and louder until her bag exploded. White fluffy snow burst from the bag. Laney gulped as Snape glared in her direction.

_Crap._


	5. Chapter 4

_**A Dancer's Heart: **_

She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. The snow continued to burst from her bag and spread across the classroom. Whispers rose from the kids around the class. The nerds looked at Laney with disappointment and annoyance, but the kids who didn't care about the class were smirking with amusement.

Draco looked at the dead fear settling in Laney's eyes. The right side of her face had turned red from where the cold snow was freezing her face. Something clouded his head. He had participated in this prank. He had _purchased_ the joke himself. But now seeing the fear she was expressing, he regretted his decision.

Laney tried to look anywhere except for Snape. His black eyes were dead set on her, and it frightened her greatly. She thought about all the times that her father had stared at her from across the room before he would beat her until she couldn't walk the next day. She was in a school, which meant that he wasn't allowed to hit her. That didn't calm her rising fear.

The snow had clumped in Snape's greasy hair, and it wasn't until one clump toppled onto his nose that he made any move. He snapped across the room. Laney's eyes widened, and she shoved herself away. Her back hit the floor with a crack, but she ignored the pain and continued to push across the floor. Her arms were crossed in front of her face, protecting herself from the potential attack.

Snape's steps faltered. Did she think he was going to _hurt_ her? He swallowed his disgust and snatched the bag from her hand. Snape whispered a spell that caused the snow to stop bursting from the bag. The snow that had already fallen on the floor seeped into the tiles, showing no sign of it ever be there.

"Detention. Come here after dinner." Snape's lips were pressed into a thin line. "Get out of my class."

Laney didn't hesitate. She pushed herself off of the ground then nearly ran from the classroom. Snape glared in Draco's direction. "Mr. Malfoy, you have better things to worry about than picking on the new student."

Laney didn't stop until she was outside of the castle. Her breaths were coming out in short bursts. There was green lake before her. Laney walked along the dock until it ended. When it came to an end, Laney sat down on the corner.

The sun warmed Laney's face and arms. She was somewhat embarrassed by what had happened in class. It wasn't her fault she was scared of someone striking her. It was all she knew.

The tip of her toe traced different patterns into the water until she felt the presence of someone behind her. The cold stare told her who it was, so she didn't bother turning around.

"Yes, Draco?"

The wood scraped underneath Draco's shoes as he got closer. He didn't bother sitting down beside her.

"It is lunch time. McGonnagal ordered me to come find you, but it seems like you're perfectly content here."

"I don't feel like eating."

"See, I knew you would say that." Draco crouched down next to her then shifted into a sitting position. He was pushed back further then her so that his feet didn't dip into the water. There was a large, white lump on his lap. "Since I knew that, I told the wit that you wouldn't want to come. So she sent me out with some things."

He unfolded the napkin in his lap. There was a sandwich with what looked like pork and sauce in it, and surrounding it were multiple chips. In his hand was an apple and a cup full of something. If it would have been a few days before then she would have wondered how he could possibly fit so much food in a single napkin, but she imagined that he had put some sort of spell on it so that it wouldn't fall out.

Draco placed the food on her own lap. She gave him a grin, "Thank you."

"You're so weird."

Laney blinked. "Why?"

"You're too happy. Doesn't anything bother you?"

Laney was quietly thinking until finally she blinked. "Mean people bother me."

"I'm a mean person."

Laney's response surprised him. It probably shouldn't have, but it did. Laney _laughed_. She tilted her head back and _laughed_. He noticed that her dimples deepened when she laughed, and the skin by her eyes wrinkled. Her black ringlets swayed in the breeze along with the movement of her shoulders shaking.

"What are you possibly laughing at?"

"You, of course."

"_Me?_"

"Yes, you. You're not as intimidating as you would like to think, Draco. I see right past you and your snappy comments." She took a bite out of the sandwich then chewed thoughtfully. "You're just someone who wants their way and doesn't know how to react when people don't comply."

"Why do you think you know me, Maddox?"

"These are simply assumptions, Draco."

Draco bit into his lip with frustration. "I'm a horrible person."

"That's not true. Horrible people always do horrible things. You don't always do horrible things, right?"

"I do and say horrible things."

"Well saying horrible things is different from actually doing them, Draco." Laney gazed at the blond boy in front of her. "You say horrible things to students, but it isn't like you throw them into trash bins."

Laney knew there was something else, deep in Draco's eyes, that was bothering him. She knew it probably wasn't good. She had heard whispers during breakfast that Draco had accepted something called the 'Dark Mark'. Laney didn't know what it meant, but the way the other students talked about it, it wasn't good.

They didn't talk as Laney finished her food. The napkin and cup disappeared with a wave of Draco's wand. She brushed the crumbs from her skirt before standing up. Draco looked up at her.

"I don't know much about you, Draco, obviously. But the choices you make now, the people you surround yourself with, they all have the potential to affect your life, even who you are, forever."

Draco watched the strange girl walk away. Her mood had shifted from sad to content within second. He wondered how she managed to do that, but more importantly was left to ponder why she had made a comment on his choices.

,*.

"Okay." Draco began, rolling the sleeves of his sweater to his elbows. After dinner, he had hunted Laney down then pulled her along the school until they reached a door that was across from a tapestry that had on ballerina costumes. Draco had let Laney stare at it until his patience was worn down. "Something that is important is being able to defend yourself. Not all wizards are good, especially nowadays."

"Right, isn't that why it is called defense against the dark arts?"

"Yes." For a girl raised by muggles, she caught on rather quickly.

Draco had set up one of the 'Death Eaters' before they were able to start. He set the dummy across the room. Laney pulled her want from her pocket. She looked at Draco for guidance, "What spell do I use?"

"Use _Aqua Eructo_."

"What will it do?"

"It will make water shoot from the tip of your wands and hit the target."

"Okay."

Draco took a place behind her before she raised her wand. Her shoulders lifted as she took a deep breath. It was a second before she spoke. It wasn't a yell, she just simply spoke the spell.

"_Aqua Ercuto_."

Water shot from her wand, and sent Laney sprawling backwards. Draco stuck his arms out to catch her. They both stumbled, but Draco managed to keep them both up. Laney was held securely against the front of his body. Her small hands were clasped around his own. Their breathing was in sync.

"Okay, I didn't realize you were half helium, half actual weight."

Laney pushed away from him and wrapped her arms around her thin waist. She knew he was joking, but she was self- concious about her size. It wasn't her fault that she was so small. She looked down at her toes with a sad look on her face.

Draco resisted the urge to groan. She looked like a kicked puppy, and he was the one who did the kicking. He rolled his eyes and sighed, "Here let me help you."

Draco retrieved her wand from the floor then she turned around. He walked up to her until her back was once again pressed against him. He placed the wand in her hand then wrapped his hand around her fist. Shivers were being sent straight to his heart, sending it into a pounding frenzy.

Laney swallowed at feeling of Draco being pressed against her. She had only had dance partners this close, but that was only for a few second. And they never held her this close. She could feel the firmness of muscle on his stomach and chest. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she swallowed once more. His closeness was causing warmth the blossom from the pit of her stomach to every inch of her

"Try again." He murmured in her ear.

Laney spoke again, a lot clearer this time. "_Aqua Eructo_."

Water once again shot from her wand and the target that had been moving towards them shot back, straight into the mirror. The mirror cracked, but it didn't completely shatter. The water slowly died down then came to a complete stop.

Laney jumped up in the air with a joyful yelp. "I did it!"

She turned around and threw herself at Draco. Her arms wrapped around his neck while his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. His eyes widened in surprise. Pansy was the only girl who threw herself at him, but Laney wasn't throwing herself at him the way Pansy does. Laney pulled away after a second, her smile causing his heart to beat a little faster.

"Can we do it again?" She grinned. "My dance teacher used to say that it wasn't going to happen unless you can make it happen twice."

"Dance teacher?"

"Yeah, I went to an arts academy."

"Oh."

"Being a witch kind of changes the dream of starring in a ballet." She shrugged then turned around. The robot began moving towards her once more, so she raised her wand. With a little more confidence, she yelled, "_Aqua Eructo_!"

The robot shot back with such force that it was embedded into the wall. Laney let out another cry of glee, her hands clapping. Meanwhile, Draco stared at the robot with interest. When they were taught this in class, only Potter had been able to get the dummy so far.

"Now what?"

"Now you learn more spells."

,*.

As he walked back to the Slytherin common room, Draco's thoughts raced about Laney. The way she leaned her back into his chest, almost as if it were comforting her. His clothing smelled like roses and peppermint because of it. He swallowed. How can someone who has been through so much find comfort in someone who was so evil?

By the end of the year, the look of happiness and trust that touched Laney's eyes would be dead. If she didn't discover who her father was, the Dark Lord would "assume" she were a half-blood or a mudblood, and he would kill her. Then there would be no light in her eyes. Draco resisted the urge to vomit. The best way to avoid getting even more people hurt was to avoid the people themselves. And that is exactly what he would do with Laney Grace Maddox.

**I did not realize how long it had been since I update. As a part to my pathetic excuse, I did start school, and I have A LOT of cheer. Hope y'all like it. :) It takes hours to write, but only seconds to review.**


	6. Chapter 5

_**A Dancer's Heart:**_

The next day, Pansy didn't look, speak, or breath the same air as Laney. She had sat at the same table as the day before, except Pansy forced some other girl to sit there. Laney had been forced to put on her brave face when she saw that the other girl had decided to move on. So instead of sitting with them, she sat at a lonely table at the back of the classroom. The only bright side to it was the fact that it was next to the window.

The downside to her spot was that it was raining outside. Laney's eyes traced the racing water droplets as they dripped down the window. She closed her eyes and inhaled. These were some of her favorite days. The sound of the steady rain and the smell of the fresh Earth calmed her down. It reminded her of when she would just lie in her bed late at night, and slowly drift in and out of sleep.

"Miss Maddox, if I were paid to let my students sleep during class, this would be called Napping instead of Potions. Back to work."

Slughorn walked away without her being able to explain that she had finished her potion a long time ago. Laney shrugged her shoulders before looking back out the window. There was a group of girls bobbing in the middle of the lake. Her eyebrows tugged together. How were they just sitting there?

Draco hadn't planned on talking to Laney. The night before he was so set on ignoring her until their tutoring sessions, but she looked so lonely at the table by herself. He swallowed at the sight of her. Why does a Gryffindor that he hardly knows give him such feelings? It wasn't anything special, of course. It's just infatuation. She's a very shiny, new toy.

"How do you expect to make friends if you refuse to socialize?" Draco drawled, his voice soft and mocking. Laney looked up at him, her beautiful lopsided grin appeared on her face once more.

"Who says I'm trying to make friends?"

"Well, when Parkinson sat you at our table yesterday, you seemed pretty excited to be included."

The grin fell from her face, but the light didn't leave her eyes. Laney looked at him from underneath her eyelashes. "Everyone likes to be included, Draco."

_You're wrong_, he thought. He didn't want to be included in anything anymore. Kids thought that being in on the "big secret" was the best thing in the whole wide world. In his mind, Draco gave a sarcastic chuckle. Sometimes the big secret is not what it all cracked up to be. His lips pressed into a thin line, "Only sometimes, Laney Grace."

She looked down and murmured, "Only sometimes."

They sat in silence. Laney looking down, and Draco looking down at Laney. She seemed to be deep in her head at that moment, and he felt as if he were encroaching in on something special or important. It took a minute, but after a minute she blinked. The blink caused her to break free from her mind. Her shocking blue eyes met his cool gray ones once again.

"I guess you're right." She concluded.

"I'm always right." He said arrogantly as he dropped himself on a stool. "You'll learn that in due time, Maddox."

Her chest heaved with a sigh then she looked back at the window. Laney pointed out to the Black Lake.

"Those girls have been sitting in the lake since the beginning of class. How are they not tired?"

Draco leaned out of his seat a bit so that he could peer out the window, "Because they're merpeople. It's what they do."

"_Merpeople_?"

"Yes, Maddox, merpeople. Those who live underwater. They're more commonly known to muggles as mermaids, sirens, etcetera."

Laney blinked. "Muggles?"

"Jesus. Don't you know anything?" He then muttered, "I knew muggles were stupid, but really?"

Laney looked at him with a blank look on her face. But in her eyes, he could see that what he had said had hurt and offended her. Laney's eyes flickered from his to whoever was standing behind him.

Ron Weasley was someone Laney had often passed in the corridor's of the school. He was mostly around Harry and Hermoine, but she had often seen a girl..._lurking_... behind them wherever they went. She had never spoken to him directly, but she assumed that he had to be somewhat nice, since Harry was kind.

"Aren't we a little old for this, Malfoy?" Ron asked gruffly.

"Old for what, Weaselbee?" Draco snapped, obviously unamused by their presence.

"Stop harassing the poor girl, Malfoy." He continued. "If you would like to bother her, bother her from afar. It would be better to fear your ugly face from far away rather than up close."

"If anyone is going to fear anyone else's face, it would be yours."

Laney's eyes bounced back and forth from the boys. It was like a tennis match. The boys were the players, and Laneys eyes were the ball. They bounced from one player to the next. Her eyes then scanned for the ref, but their was no one to be found.

A few minutes passed before Hermoine finally came to retrieve Ron. She pulled on his arm the same time that Draco pulled on Laney's arm. Laney stared at Draco. What had possessed him to be so pushy?

,*.

D.A.D.A had passed quickly. Mostly because Laney had successfully kept her head down. Snape would walk by with a weird look on his face every time he passed, but he never spoke to her. She swallowed as she thought about her detention the night before.

_Laney slowly approached the door of what she feared would become her own personal hell. She wanted to tell Snape that she didn't have anything to do with the snow globe, and that someone had set her up. Would he listen to her? She sighed, most likely not._

_ "You're late." Snape snapped as he strut out from the side room. His black robes flowed everywhere without care. Laney for a moment wondered if he always wore so much black. She had a French teacher once that wore a lot of black because her husband had passed away in World War II. Had Snape lost someone that he loved dearly? That would explain why he's so grumpy all the time. _

_ "Dinner ended a few minutes ago." Laney defended. She had even _left _ a few minutes early so that she wouldn't recieve extra punishment. "This room is quite far away from the Dining Hall..."_

_ "You're just like your ignorant mother." He scoffed. "She too thought she could charm her way out of anything."_

_ Laney's shoulders sagged slightly at the insult to her and her mother. "I'm not trying to defend anything or anyone."_

_ Snape looked conflicted for a short moment. The rare emotion that he expressed had slipped through. He almost looked sorry for being rude to Laney. Almost. "I don't care what you do, Maddox. Just serve your detention then leave."_

_ "Do I just sit here?"_

_ "No, you will be helping the house elves downstairs with the peeling of the potatoes for tomorrow's breakfast." _

_ Laney resisted the urge to scowl at her professor. She had walked all the way up here, was given imaginary grief about being "late", and now she has to walk all the way back down to the kitchens. She didn't say anything as she spun on her heel and left the room._

_ The walk to the kitchen felt shorter than the one to her own personal hell, but she was not complaining. She wanted nothing more than to get this detention over with. There were multiple little people scurrying around the large kitchen when Laney had entered. Every single one of them stopped and stared at each other. The elves and Laney both blinked as they stared. Laney had to force the giggles not to leave her mouth. They were so _cute_!_

_ The girl who had just walked in was not much taller than them. Winky, the one closest to the front, was the one to break the weird silence._

_ "How can Winky assisst you?"_

_ Laney kneeled in front of the smaller house elf who had referred to herself as Winky. "Professor Snape has sent me down for my detention. I'm supposed to help you with peeling potatoes."_

_ There had been a small argument between the pair because Winky insisted that she should just go back to the Gryffindor commons and study for her classes. Then Laney retaliated by saying that she would get into trouble if she didn't do it. The thought of being in trouble was what caused Winky to lead Laney over to the table. _

_ The pair began peeling potatoes. Laney thought of the irony in her situation. One of the punishments that her father had given her was starvation. He would starve her for days on end, but he would force her to sit at the dinner table with a plate full of food. If she could keep a good grip on herself, she would be able to eat the peels of the potatoes she had made for dinner._

_ The concept was that if she could perfectly peel the potato without potato junks getting caught on it then she'd be able to eat them. But if the potato chunk was too big, she was not allowed to eat it. It was horrible, but after not eating for days, anything sounded good to her. Even if it was school lunch._

_ She was counting the many different ways her father had tortured her over the years. It nearly made her sick. Would they make her go back? What was she going to do during Christmas or in the summer? Her face paled at how things would be different. Was her other mother dead too? Laney absently shook her head. She certainly hoped not._

_ "Maddox." A deep voice pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up and saw Draco standing by the corner, staring at her impatiently. "I have a life. One that does not revolve around you."_

_ "Sorry, I had to serve det-"_

_ "I didn't ask, so I don't care. Hurry up, before I don't feel so giving."_

Laney blinked away the memories. She hated that her world seemed to revolve around her father and his years of abuse. She couldn't do anything without it somehow correlating with her 'home problems'. It was upsetting.

"Miss Maddox, if you can't pay attention to my class for more than five minutes, then why bother showing up?" Snapes long drawl caught Laney off guard.

Her cheeks tinted pink and she resisted the urge to close her eyes. He was staring down at her with a hateful look. Laney dropped her eyes to the wood of the table in front of her. She mumbled, "Sorry, sir."

"Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape drawled before continuing on with his lesson about nonverbal spells. "A nonverbal spell is a spell in which you don't have to actually speak. You just flick your wand, and you think about the spell you would like to use."

Snape gazed around the room before resting his eyes on Laney then Pansy. "Maddox, Parkinson front of the classroom. Let's see if this is as easy as it was when I was in school."

Laney swallowed the lump in her throat as she stood up. Her fingers clasped her robes in order to try and them from shaking. Pansy stood on the right side of the room, where most of the Slytherins sat, and Laney stood where most of the Gryffindors were. Harry sent her head nod that said good luck. Even though she knew she needed it, she couldn't bring herself to show any acknowledgment.

Snape walked in between the first row of desks. "I will count to three then you will release your spells. Keep it clean, ladies."

Laney licked her lips and took a protective stance. Snape's slow counting caused her heart to race. She barely even processed her own thoughts before _aqua eructo _screamed in her mind. Water shot from her wand and hit Pansy square in the chest. Pansy flew backwards then skidded on her butt. She and Laney both gasped.

"Very good, Maddox." Their professor praised with surprise laced in his voice. "Not many people can do that on their first try. Thirty points for Gryffindor."

The Gryffindor's cheered at the talent of their new member, and the Slytherins stared at the girl sitting on the ground. Everyone except for Draco. Draco was gripping his quil so tightly that his knuckles were white. There had only been one person who could do nonverbal spells without breaking a sweat. Draco glared at Laney's raven hair. He should have known.

,*.

Draco followed Laney out after dinner that night. She had an apple in one hand and a book in the other. Her curls bounced and floated in the wind. From behind, Draco would have mistaken her for a fallen angel. Laney walked with the grace of a ballerina.

_Stop_. Draco scolded himself. If he distracted himself with her looks now, how would he ever confront her? He didn't even know for sure if she was who he thought she was. He was so confused with himself; he didn't even know how to handle it.

Laney sat on the edge of the dock after she removed her shoes. The apple was caught between her teeth as she situated herself in a comfortable position. Her book rested on her thighs while one hand held her apple. Draco removed his shoes then sat down next to her. Laney looked over at him and flashed a smile.

"Whatcha doing, Draco?"

"I came to talk to you."

Laney closed her book with a concerned look on her face. "Is something wrong?"

Draco gave her a skeptical look. "How did you do that nonverbal spell so well? It should have been impossible."

She blinked. "I don't know. I was panicking and... I don't know. It just worked out for me."

"I don't believe you." He said, running his hand over his thick blonde hair. Laney could see the deep, black circles under his eyes. "Is this a test?"

"A test?"

"Did _he _send you here to lie about who you are and try to distract me from my assignment?" Draco stared desperately at Laney, who remained concerned and confused. She could tell that he was grasping straws.

Laney rested her hand over his. "Draco, I don't know why you're thinking these things, but-"

Draco snatched his hand from underneath Laney's as if her touch burned him. He abruptly stood up. Laney's eyes widened as she tried to refocus her eyes on his quick moving form. But by the time she had managed to lock her eyes back on him, he was leaning so that their noses were nearly brushing.

"If I find out you have been playing a game, I will make your life miserable."

With those last words, Draco did the most childish thing he could think of. He pushed Laney into the lake. A surprised shriek left her lips as she flipped over backwards into the lake. The water was in her mouth, up her nose, and surrounding her entire body within seconds. When Laney resurfaced, Draco was stalking back to the castle, leaving her even more confused. What was his deal today?

**Thoughts? Ideas? Do share! And I want to do a music playlist for this book, but I need help. If you have any ideas, please comment them with the song/artist/scene where you think it should go. Thank you!**


	7. Chapter 6

_**A Dancer's Heart**_

Laney tracked Draco down after she managed to get over the fact that he had pushed her in a lake that had who knows what in it. Her hair looked like the instant pasta that girls sometimes brought to school. There was a trail of water behind Laney. The students looked from the charging girl to the puddles she was leaving.

Draco made no sign that he had heard Laney calling after him. He could hear her squishing footsteps following behind him. He attempted to speed up his footsteps, but Laney's short legs managed to catch up to him. Her fingers clasped his robes, and she shoved him. Not on purpose, though, she had slipped into him. Together the slid onto the floor. Laney's back hit the floor with a crack, and Draco landed on top of her.

The air rushed from Laney's lungs. She tried to shove the boy off of her, but it seemed as if all of her strength left with the air in her lungs. Draco braced himself on his forearms so that all of his weight wasn't pressing into Maddox. He tried to ignore how good it felt to have her body pressed against his own. Laney began to shift away, but she quickly stopped when a strangled noise left Draco's mouth. His hand gripped the curve of her hip.

"Don't...move." He nearly growled, dropping his head. His fingers pressed deeply into her skin until she yelped. His grip loosened and Laney shot out from underneath him. She had a look of fear in her eyes. Draco rolled over on to his back then got to his feet. Laney took another step away from him.

Hermoine burst through the crowd that had started around them when Laney had fallen. She came to Laney's shivering shoulders with a nasty glare towards Malfoy. Her warm hands rested on Laney's shoulders, who flinched away.

"What happened, Laney?"

Laney dug her toe into the ground. "I slipped into the lake, and I was trying to get back to the commons when I ran into Draco."

Draco's eyes widened at the lie. Did she really just _lie _for _him_?

Hermoine rubbed Laney's arm, "Let's go get you a bath."

The two girls walked in a direction away from the crowd. Hermoine had her arm wrapped around Laney's shoulders, and Laney had her arms crossed over her chest. She didn't know what compelled her to lie. She had never lied before in her life. Of course, she had never had a reason to. It wasn't like she snuck out to parties, nor was she ever late to class.

"I'll let you take a bath in the prefects' bathroom." Hermoine said as she steered Laney away from the Fat Lady to another door further away. The room that she was led into was _gorgeous_.

The marble white floors were shining in the dimmed lighting. In the middle of the room, there was a large tub that could easily be mistaken for as a pool. Lined around the pool were little faucets. Hermoine whispered something that made all of them twist so that multi colored bubbles and water were pouring out of them. It filled rather quickly, so Hermoine pointed where the towels were located.

"Enjoy your bath, Laney."

Laney waited a moment before she began her clothes. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of algae and lake water. She tossed the clothes into a wet pile in the corner. A soft sigh left her lips as she slowly made her way into the bath. The steam rose around her, and the water got higher as she walked in. She liked that she couldn't see her scars through the bubbles that floated on top of the water.

She dropped under for a few seconds, welcoming the nice feel of the warm bath. She had only taken a few baths in her life time. It was either while she physically couldn't walk or her father was drunk and stuck at a bar. Other than that, her life had consisted of quick and cold showers. She had to admit, this was a nice change.

Draco couldn't stop pacing. He had been pacing the Slytherin common room the second he had arrived. His friends had come and gone. They attempted to get him to stop, but it didn't matter what they did. He couldn't get that damned girl out of his head.

"You know, Draco," Parkinson stood from the couch and walked to him in a, what she probably thought was, sultry walk, "The best way to handle a problem is to eliminate it."

Draco placed his hands over hers, which had taken place on his chest. He curled his fingers over hers and tilted his head so that their eyes could meet. Draco's lips quirked up into a grin, "You are right for once, Parkinson."

Pansy tilted her head back, waiting for his lips to meet hers in a passionate kiss that they used to share. But the sensation of his cool lips against hers never came. Instead, her hands were thrown from his chest, and Draco was marching towards the door. She couldn't help but sigh. Of course he wasn't talking to her.

He knew where Granger had taken Maddox after their fall in the entrance hall. She had gone in the direction of the Prefects' bathroom instead of the Gryffindor tower. The walk was short because of his brisk walk, but his heart beat seemed to get faster just standing at the door. Draco took a deep breath before quietly opening the doors.

Maddox was in a white robe that fell just before knees. She was bent over with her fingers bunching up her hair. Every thought flew out of his brain as he stalked towards her. He was done with the constant thoughts of her. This had to stop.

Draco pulled Laney up so that she was standing then he spun her around.

"Wha-"

Her surprised yelp was cut off by Draco pushing her into the wall. He still had not changed, but she guessed he had no reason to considering that she was the one who had gone into the lake.

"Draco, what are you-"

The words were cut off by Draco pressing his cool lips to hers. His eyes were closed, but Laney's were wide open. She had never experienced this before. She had seen Baylee kiss boys before, but she herself had never had one. Is this what kissing was? She blinked. If this is how kisses were, she would be okay with it never happening again.

It seemed as if Draco had read her mind because he pressed even closer to her. His hands cupped her face, and his knee settled in between her legs. Draco's lips softened against her own.

The change in the kiss made Laney's knees weak. Her own hands came up and clasped themselves around Draco's wrists. His lips pried hers apart then came back around her bottom lip. A shaky sigh left Laney as she tried to keep up with him.

Draco dragged his lips away from Laney's then kissed down her neck. He settled on the middle of her neck and pressed multiple kisses. Laney was squirming and sighing beneath him, which encouraged him to gently bite her neck.

"Draco." Laney gasped. He decided that that moment would be the best to end his random kissing rage on her.

"Never speak of this." He gasped back before swiftly exiting. Laney stared where at where Draco had just been standing.

_Holy crap_, She thought, placing her hand over her heart.

,*.

Laney stared at the trembling wardrobe in front of her. It was probably three times her height and four times bigger than her. It was violently shaking. Draco was walking around with small blankets and was covering the windows with them. She didn't know what he was thinking, but he hadn't said a word to her.

"What is in the wardrobe, Draco?" She asked, taking another step away from it.

"It's a boggart."

Draco had a plan that was spread out into two different ways. Since she wasn't going to be open about knowing who the Dark Lord is, he would be able to tell when her worst fear stepped from the door. Who in their right state of mind wouldn't be afraid of him? Draco couldn't even speak his name without feeling cold. Then if she was being honest about who she is, it would give him an in sight to her brain.

"And that is?"

"It isn't anything really. No one has seen its actual shape." He walked to the front of the wardrobe. "It takes shape of your first fear."

Laney took a step back and lowered her wand. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm scared."

An irritated looked crossed Draco's face. "You can't do it because you're _scared_?"

"Yeah..."

"Answer something for me, Maddox. Do you think the Death Eaters will care about that? Do you think they'll decide not to attack you because you're scared?"

"Who are the Death Eaters?" Laney asked, crossing her arms and slouching into herself.

"They're the bad guys, Laney." Draco seemed to shrink in on himself. "They will kill you without a second glance."

Laney watched Draco's face. If it were possible, it seemed as if he had gotten paler. It looked like the entire world had just landed on his shoulders. He went from looking like a regular seventeen year old boy to an older man who was stressed about something big.

"I'll do it." She murmured.

For some reason that caused him to straighten up. The color returned and he was back to looking younger. Laney raised her wand as he placed his hand over the latch.

"The spell is Riddikulus. Remember, it isn't real."

_It isn't real_, she repeated silently in her head. She placed one foot behind her, and she turned body sideways. Her heart beat began to speed up once Draco unclasped the latch. The door opened slowly, and there was no movement for a long time. Then her father stepped out.

He looked exactly like he had a week ago. He was still wearing the ugly, pumpkin orange tank top covered in stains and regular jeans. His shoulders were so broad that he had to step with one shoulder out. His buzz cut looked uglier than she remembered though.

"Where'd you go, Laney?" He asked with a twisted grin. "Your mother and I missed you. You disappeared without a trace, strangely enough."

Kit took a step toward his daughter with his hands on his belt buckle. Laney's grip on her wand faltered as her father began to undo his belt buckle. Draco seemed to be frozen by the man who had stepped out of the wardrobe.

"It is only right," He pulled the belt from his jean loops, "That I give you proper punishment for disappearing without a single word to me."

The scene around her disappeared and suddenly she was back at the old place she called home. Her wand fell from her hand and clattered onto the floor. Her father began charging towards her with his arm raised.

"No!" She shouted, stumbling backwards. Laney landed on her back with a loud crack. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'll come home, I promise."

Draco watched as the unfamiliar man walked out of from the small space. He looked like a dead beat bastard right off the bat. He looked over at Laney, who had gone stark white. He watched in shock as the man began to take his belt off. What was he going to do?

"It is only right that I give you proper punishment for disappearing without a single word to me."

Draco watched as Laney shot backwards. She blindly flung her arms up and around. He quickly stepped between the boggart and Laney. He silently said the spell before the boggart could make sense of his fear.

"Maddox." He yelled once the boggart flung itself back into the wardrobe. Draco gripped her cold arm, but she tried to jerk away. "It's okay, it's gone."

"Laney, it's okay!"

Her eyes were wild when they finally opened. She pressed her face into Draco's chest. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she tried to nearly burrow herself into him.

"I'm sorry." She cried, her shoulders shaking.

Uncertain of what to do, Draco placed his hand on Laney's head. "It's okay."

_I've got you_, he added silently.

_**It takes hours to update but seconds to review, so please do :)**_

_** All right, it is time for Laney to have a friend(s). If you would like to have your character show up in this book please fill out:**_

_** Name**_

_** Personality**_

_** Physical Appearance**_

_** House**_

_** Life type (Rich, poor, etc)**_

_** Enemies**_

_** And anything extra add whatever you'd like**_

_** And to those who have been reviewing, it honestly makes my day when I recieve the email. See y'all soon! :)**_

_** First song that I thought would fit would be at the end when Draco helps Laney~ **__Fix You by Coldplay. _


	8. Chapter 7

_**A Dancer's Heart:**_

__It had been days since their last encounter. Draco and Laney only spoke to each other when it was necessary. He would sit next to her in D.A.D.A, but they didn't look at each other. Then a tutoring her, he would tutor her with a monotone voice. It was easier because they had moved from defense lessons to transfiguration, something she was good at.

It seemed silly to her, but she was avoiding him because she was embarrassed about what had happened the week before. Laney wished she could be braver. She had only been here for a few weeks, but she could already tell that something bad was coming. What Laney didn't understand was how Draco knew about them. It had been after their lesson when Ollivander's, the wand shop she had been shopping in not too many days ago.

After reading the newspaper that talked about a Dark Lord and the Death Eaters, Laney began having strange dreams. She would be walking down a long dark hallway. The walls were made out of black brick. There was only a single light at the end of the hallway. Every time she walked in there would a group of men and women sitting at a long, and once again, black table. Draco would be sitting there with a smile on his face. When he would smle at her, it would become prominent that she was wearing an engagement ring on her finger. Her gaze would move over to the bald man sitting at the table. He would give her a scary smile and extend his hand before saying, "My daughter, come join us, at last."

The dreams had gotten so real feeling that it began to unnerve her. It finally got to the point where she went to Dumbledore. She thought maybe he would be able answer some of her questions.

"Is something bothering you, Laney?" Dumbledore asked after offering lemon candy. She was sitting in a chair in front of his desk

"What are Death Eaters?" She asked, somewhat bluntly. "Why is everyone so afraid of them?"

Dumbledore set the bowl of the yellow candies down before perching himself on the edge of his desk. His hands rested lightly on his lap. He seemed to be in deep thought because he didn't reply for some time.

"What makes you ask, Miss Maddox?"

"I've heard of the phrase before, but I saw in the paper that they had broken into the wand shop." She crossed her legs. "Why are they such a big deal?"

"I'm afraid, Laney, that it is not my place to tell the story of why they are such a big deal. I am sure that Mr. Potter would be able to fill you in."

"Okay..." She stood up, but she jerked back when another thought randomly occurred to her. It was like someone had entered her brain and put it there. "Who is my father? Did my mother ever tell you?"

Dumbledore gave her a sad look. "I have reason to believe that the one in charge of the Death Eaters. Your mother never gave me a confirmation because she was afraid of someone coming after her or maybe coming after you."

"So it isn't confirmed that my birth mom is dead?" A small bubble of hope swelled in her chest.

"Well, no news is better than bad news, I think."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Please, Miss Maddox, if anything is bothering you, I am sure me or someone in this school can help you."

The halls were quiet except for Laney's footsteps. Her thoughts moved around lots of things, never settling on a single thought. It went from her kiss with Draco, to who her father could be, to the potential that her mother was alive. Her heart dropped in her chest at the thought of her father. If he was bad, does that mean she was bad too?

"Miss Maddox." A monotoned voice drawled behind her. She turned around to see Snape looking at her. "You do realize it is past your curfew, correct?"

"I'm sorry, sir." She pushed her long bangs off of her forehead. "I was just talking to Professor Dumbledore; I couldn't sleep."

Snape looked at her with a weird look on his face. She wondered what he was thinking because every time he looked at her, he had that same look on his face. It was like when he looked at her, he got trapped in his thoughts or a memory of some sort.

"He will probably tell you the same thing, sir."

"Just be on your way, Maddox."

Laney turned around and was about to start on her way to the common room, but her attention caught something else. "Professor Snape?"

Snape turned around to look at her. "What?"

"Did you know my mom?" She asked, her voice small. "I mean, did you both have the same classes?"

He looked unsure for a moment, but then, as if it were a snap decision, gestured her in the direction he was going. "I have something better than that."

Together they walked to his classroom. He moved a chair to the front of his desk for her to sit in. It took him a moment, but he eventually came back with a large box. He placed in front of her. Laney stood on the chair so that she could see inside the box.

She stared at the inside of the box. There was movement in the box, but it was just a small flickering.

"Moving pictures?" She asked, disbelief lacing her voice.

"It's a nice perk to being a wizard." He said dryly.

"Can I look at them?"

"I didn't bring them out here for nothing."

Laney took that as an okay to sift through the box. The first photograph was one of her mother before what can be assumed as her first train ride to Hogwarts. She was small for her age, with curly blonde pigtails. She was smiling a gap tooth smile at whoever was taking the picture.

The next photo was one where she was older. She must have been at least fifteen, and she was dressed for a dance. Next to her was a boy with long black hair.

"Is that you?" She asked, somewhat amused.

"Yes." Laney looked up to see him studying her. He continued hesitantly, "Your mother... She seemed to have everyone wrapped around her finger. Even the worst of people seemed infatuated by Grace."

Laney tucked a curl behind her ear with a grin on her face. There was another photo of Grace standing in between two other girls. The picture was captured while Grace and the other girl were laughing.

"Who are those two girls?"

"Molly Weasely and your mother's best friend, Beth Skye."

She looked at Ron's mom. She was the shortest of the group, with frizzy curly hair. It was a contrast to her own mother's long ringlets that glinted in the sun. She looked like a super model, even though the picture was unknowingly being taken. Then her eyes rested on Beth.

She had short cropped ash blonde hair, and she was about the same height as her mom. Laney's shoulders slouched. "My mom was so tall and beautiful."

"You're a spitting image of her." Snape said as he picked up the box. "The only difference is it looks like someone spilled a bunch of ink on top of your hair, and it splattered onto your nose."

Laney crossed her eyes to look at the freckles that dusted her nose. She laughed, inspite of herself, then exclaimed, "Hey!"

Snape emerged from the storage room a few minutes later. He sat back down at his desk, his eyes trained on Laney's face.

"You look just alike, but you have two separate personalities."

"Well, we were raised in different environments."

"I guess so." There was a moment of silence before Snape spoke again. "It's time for you to go back to the Gryffindor tower before I'm forced to give you a weeks detention for being out past curfew."

They walked side by side until she was out of the classroom. Laney said goodnight then made her way down the hallway. Once again, Snape's voice stopped her from going any further than she had the hour before.

"If you ever want to look at the photographs, feel free to do so."

Laney walked away feeling very confused about their entire encounter. He was cold towards her during class, but what she just witnessed was quite the opposite. It was almost as if he were enjoying himself. Laney rolled her eyes at the thought, he was probably just amusing her so that she would go away sooner.

There was only a single person left sitting in the Gryffindor common room. It seemed to be her lucky day because it was Harry. He was sitting in front of the fire with a book perched on his knees. He looked up upon her entering.

"Hey, Laney." He whispered.

She walked over and sat beside him. The warmth that came from the fireplace made her want to curl up on the sofa with a throw blanket then sleep the rest of her days away. Unfortunately that wasn't an option at the moment.

"Hi, Harry." She whispered, just as quietly. "I have a question or two for you."

"Well, hopefully I will be able to answer both."

"Who is the Dark Lord?"

There was a long pause. Laney worried that she had offended him in someway, but when she noticed the faraway look in his eye, she knew that he was looking for a way to explain.

"When I was a baby, there was a man who had so much power that he was driven mad. He was intelligent, but he was so filled with power. As a teenager, he realized that he wanted to purify the wizarding race by getting rid of the half-bloods or muggle borns. One day he heard of a prophecy that there would be a child stronger than him. He sought out this child, and he eventually found him." Harry looked at Laney. "The boy's parents were murdered by the man. The only reason the boy was saved was because his mother's love for him was so strong that it repelled the spell. The baby was left with a single scar."

They were quiet for a long while, staring at each other. She tried to picture this happening, but she couldn't imagine someone ever wanting to kill a baby. Then again, she knew exactly how power lust could affect people. Laney closed her eyes for a few moments then reopened them to find Harry staring at her. She looked over his face, and her eyes settled on his forehead where a crooked line was sitting. WIthout thinking she lifted her fingers to his head. They softly traced over the scar there.

"A scar..." She murmured. "You're the boy, from the story?"

Harry nodded. Laney closed her eyes once more, her heart breaking for the boy next to her. She may not have had the best living condition, but she at least had some sort of parenting in her life.

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"Don't be sorry for me, Laney. I've managed to live through it while others haven't been so lucky." Harry seemed to be lost once more in his thoughts. "Innocent people have been killed by this man, Laney."

"Do you think that, metaphorically speaking, if he had a kid that they would be just like him?"

"We don't get to choose what is true, Laney. We only get to choose what we do about it. If Voldemort were to have a child, it would be up to them to choose who they wanted to be. If they want to pursue the same path as their father, it isn't up to us to make them change their mind. But it is up to us to help protect the innocent."

"You're very bright, Harry." She said quietly with her eyes closed. The sound of the fire cracking and popping lulled her into a severe relaxation. It was like she couldn't make any move. Opening her eyes seemed to be even too much. She sighed softly as her thoughts began to wonder...

_There was a small girl swaying in the middle of the living room. She had hair that spilled down her back as if it were dark ink. The music playing from the radio seemed to take her into a different world. _

_**She spins and she sways to whatever song plays**_  
_** Without a care in the world**_

___Her father sat in the arm chair beside the fire with a cup in one hand and the paper in the other. He paid no special attention to the little girl spinning and dancing on her toes. She eventually spun until she was in front of her father. The girl placed her hands on his knees and peered up at him with bright blue eyes._

_**She's pulling at him saying, "Dad, I need you! There' s a ball at the castle and I need to practice my dancing. Oh please, Daddy, please!"**_

___The man eventually set the things in his hands down. He gave his daughter an annoyed look, but the look eventually went away. His face broke out in a rare smile that his wife had only seen once or twice in their married life. The father scooped up his princess and began spinning her around the room. They both were in fits of laughter as he continued to dance his way around the small house. He dipped her back and silently sang the last lines to his little dancer._

_**So I will dance with Cinderella**_  
_**While she is here in my arms**_  
_**Cause I know something the prince never knew**_  
_**Oh I will dance with Cinderella **_  
_**I don't want to miss even one song**_  
_**'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight**_  
_**And she'll be gone**_

__**Hmm... Was that a memory or a wish or just a dream that Laney has? OC's will be appearing next chapter! The song used for this chapter is Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman. The video/song makes me cry my eyes out! It takes hours to write a chapter but seconds to review so please do! **


	9. Chapter 8

_A Dancer's Heart:_

Her body swung around as once more, Laney pushed on to her toe and spun. In the mirror, her reflection copied every leap, spin, and step that she made. Draco had never seen something so graceful in his entire life. He had been to plenty muggle ballets, but he would rather watch Laney herself rather than all those other women. Which didn't say much considering she was all he thought about.

It was like a constant rerun of the Laney Show in his head. Wherever he went, she went too. If he were taking a bath, she would be there next to him, kissing his lips or his neck. If he were eating, she would be on his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. If he were in bed, Laney would be curled against his side with her head resting on his shoulder. Hell, even in his dreams, Maddox was the star. He was starting to sound like a bloody girl.

"You know, I would rather you spaz out somewhere else." Draco said, finally making his presence known. "I actually have work to do here."

Laney stopped dancing and quickly spun to face Draco. "Spaz?"

"Yes, that thing you were just doing?" He forced a look of disgust on his face. "It looked like you were having a damn seizure."

"A seizure?" She questioned. Laney swallowed harshly as a hurt look moved onto her face. She turned around to face the mirror where she stared at herself. Her teachers had always told her she was a magnificent dancer, but Draco was someone who had been known to give his very blunt opinion.

His façade dropped when he saw the very hurt look on her face. "I'm just kidding, Maddox. Can't you take a joke?"

Laney bit into her lip. For some reason, an angry feeling had come over her. It was like a flash of lightning. She tried to keep quiet as she walked over to her towel. Laney pressed the towel to her chest. She dropped her ballet bag onto her shoulder then began to move past him.

Draco caught her arm, carefully switching the apple he was holding to the other hand. Laney looked at him with an apprehensive look. She looked incredibly tired, black circles becoming prominent on her pale face. Her once lively blue had dimmed just a bit.

"Are you sleeping at night?"

She gave him a weird look. "Why?"

"You look tired."

"I am tired."

"Why?"

"This is annoying, Draco. Please, let go of my arm." She finally looked straight into his eyes. He looked just as tired as she did, but the fire that they held remained. She liked it when they burned with fire because it was so rare. Usually they were ice cold, filled with hate and what she thought could possibly be fear. It just seemed to make him look even more handsome when his eyes were imitating a warm silver. Their staring contest ended when the apple slipped from Draco's hand. He wanted to kiss her again, but he knew that if he did it would make him want more. Something he doubted Laney had ever experienced before.

He quickly let her go upon those thoughts. Laney didn't bother saying anything else as she walked out. She looked back to see if Draco were following her, but by the time she looked back, the Room of Requirements had shut her out. She let out a gasp when her body collided with another. Laney's back hit with a loud crack against the marble floors. Whoever ran into her let out a loud shriek.

"Oh, Godric!" The other girl yelled in frustration. "Doesn't anyone ever pay attention to where they go in this school?"

Laney pressed her hand to the back of her head and leaned up with a grimace on her face. The other girl was the same way except she seemed to be the exact opposite at the same time. She had long ash blonde hair and pale skin. They stared at each other. A panic feeling settled on her chest. Girls were either a hit or miss honestly. They could either be super sweet or super mean.

"I'm sorry." She quickly said, hoping the girl wasn't going to blow up in her face.

The girl waved a hand as if she were swatting away a fly. "I was walking too fast anyways."

She was the first one to rise. Laney went to get up, but the girl stuck her hand out as an offering. Laney smiled as she put her hand in the other girls. When she was standing to her full height, Laney noticed the girl was taller than her.

"Sorry, again."

"No worries." There was a pause then the girl said, "I'm Alaska Skye."

"Laney Maddox."

Alaska's name stirred a brief moment of recognition in Laney's chest, but she couldn't place her finger on it to save her life. She ended up shrugging it off. The girl's stood in an awkward silence before the bell from the tower clanged to life.

"Oh, _shit_." The girl cursed looking around. "I'm going to be late. Bye, Laney! Sorry for running into you."

Laney went to speak, but Alaska was already sprinting for the stairs. Laney rolled her shoulders then began heading towards the Gryffindor tower. She hummed a silly tune that had been stuck in her head all day long.

Laney was about to enter the common rooms when she heard someone shouting her name. She looked back to see Alaska sprinting towards her, her arms flailing. When she finally reached Laney, she was out of breath. She leaned one hand against Laney's shoulder, her chest heaving.

"I have been calling you for like _ever_. Are you deaf?"

Laney blinked. "No, I was just stuck in my head I guess."

"Well, you need to change that, so it can save me from chasing you like a mad woman."

"Sorry."

Once again, Alaska waved her off. "This isn't the point. The point is that I have always seen you around school, and I have always wanted to approach you, _but_," Alaska gasped for breath then continued, "You have either been near Potter or Malfoy. It's like I already can't win with you."

"What's wrong with Harry?"

"Nothing is _wrong_ with Harry per say, it's who he hangs out with, likes, etcetera. That isn't important right now."

Laney of course had more questions, but Alaska had already waved her off. They didn't stop speed walking until they were outside of the little pub that Draco had taken her to her first day awake at Hogwarts. She couldn't remember what she had, but she knew that whatever was on the menu she wasn't able to choose.

They walked inside, and Laney gave a small smile to the man who was walking behind the bar. He was tall and broad. Laney honestly thought that he would fit in perfectly with the people that they put in jails and stuff, but when she actually spoke to him, it turned out that he was the biggest marshmallow ever. She had scolded herself when she had wrongfully judged him of course.

"Laney, I'd like you to meet my Burks."

Once again, Laney looked confused. "Burks?"

One of the girls smiled at Laney. She had long wavy brown hair, a pale complexion, and large green eyes. "Burks is the equivalent to fools. No matter how rude it is Alaska insists on calling us fools." She playfully rolled her eyes, still smiling. The girl stuck her hand out. "I'm Dani Peters."

"Laney Maddox."

Dani rolled her eyes again then said light heartedly, "Everyone knows who you are. You made quite a first impression your first five minutes in Hogwarts. Then of course, you hang around with Draco Malfoy, who is just oh so popular."

"But she isn't bitter or anything, don't get her wrong." The red head sitting next to Dani spoke up. "Little Miss Down-to-Earth just wishes he would do something more useful with his popularity. Like begin world peace or something."

Just like Dani had, the red head gripped Laney's hand in a soft grip. "I'm Stephanie Locklear. Steph or Stephanie is fine."

"It's nice to meet you."

Steph looked at Alaska with a special grin on her face. They seemed to have a mind conversation because whatever Harley was smiling about, it caused Alaska to smile too. Laney tried not to look uncomfortable by their insider conversation, but it seemed almost impossible.

"Where's Harley Rae?" Alaska asked as she sat down. Laney ended up taking the seat next to Dani. The three girls went on talking while Laney looked at the menu. There were a lot of foods that Alaska said were very good. She looked over the categories, nothing really catching her eye.

"The breakfast foods are very good. I like to get the omelets."

Omelet. The word seemed to stir something inside of Laney. It sounded so normal and homely. It made her think of her mother when her father was too drunk to come home the night before. Her mother would get up an hour or so before nine, and she would make cheesy omelets filled with peppers, bacon, and tomatoes. A frown creased Laney's forehead as the thought of her mother created an ache in her stomach. She had gotten so caught up with Draco's tutoring and her schoolwork that she didn't have much time to think of what happened all those weeks ago. Even when she wasn't busy with school work, she tried not to think about it. The guilt would probably be too much for her to handle.

"That sounds good." Laney concluded with a smile on her face.

,*.

After they ate, the girls had gone shopping for hours. Laney learned within the first few minutes that even though the girls were loud, crazy, and overall rambunctious, they had extremely kind hearts that Laney loved. They had quickly accepted her into their little circle, although all of the 'Burks' had not been there. Steph had taken a little more convincing since she had a rough past with people. She didn't go into details, and Laney respected that. She had her secrets that she didn't want to go blabbing to the world about.

Like Laney, Alaska was also a Gryffindor along with three others who had been too busy to come to lunch. They had promised Dani that they would all meet after dinner with a dessert of some sort. That had been one of the fun things about the group. Even though they all paid separately and got individual meals, the girls all shared their plates with each other. Alaska said that it was because they usually see something that looks good, but they really want something different as well. So instead of getting two different entrees, the girls just shared. Laney was more than happy to share with them; it made her feel more a part of the group.

"Bye, Laney!" They all chorused as she made her exit to the Room of Requirements for the second time that day.

Although it was a Saturday, Draco said that Laney needed more practice with Herbology. There was something about screaming plants that always made Laney feel woozy.

"You're late." Draco stated simply as he pulled a cover over whatever was in front of him. Laney caught a glimpse of dark wood, but that was it.

She looked at her watch, "No, I'm not. I am five minutes early actually."

He looked at her. "My father says that if you arrive with less than ten minutes to spare, you are considered late."

"I guess it's a good thing your father isn't here then." She muttered to herself. Laney had never met the man, but by Draco's cold nature, she could assume he was not a very nice man.

"What?"

"Nothing, can we please continue with our lesson?"

"With Herbology?"

"Well I assumed considering it is _all_ we have worked on since last Monday."

Draco shook his head at her before looking out the window. "No, today we are working with animals."

That lit a spark of excitement in Laney, "Animals?"

"Yes, and today it is specifically called a Hippogriff."

The pair both walked down past Hagrid's hut and a bit into the woods. Draco didn't stop walking until they reached a slab of white concrete. Over his shoulder, Laney could see a strange bird like animal. His body was covered in feathers, even though it took shape of a horse. Its' hind legs belonged to a horse while its forelegs belonged to a bird.

Laney grinned at it then began walking towards it. "He's _so_ cute!"

Draco quickly grabbed her arm and yanked her against his chest. "Hippogriffs are very proud creatures, Maddox. If you cross it without it's' permission, you might as well have a death wish."

"Sounds like you know from personal experience."

His lips were right next to Laney's ear as he spoke, sending shivers down her spine. "During third year, I approached it with quite the attitude. It resulted in me being attacked and being forced to reside in the hospital wing."

Laney looked at him. Her blue eyes trailed over his face. "You look fine to me."

Draco rolled his sleeve above his elbow then turned his arm over so that she could see the scars from the Hippogriffs claws. Laney gasped and lightly pressed her finger tips to the rough edges of his scars. They slowly and lightly fell over the tissue; with such care and gentleness that Draco began to feel sleepy. Like he could take Maddox into the field beyond the trees and cuddle her until the flowers and grass grew over their bodies. Unfortunately, that was not an option.

Draco cleared his throat and released her. He stood behind Laney while he instructed her how to approach Hippogriff. A light sweat broke over his brow. He wasn't a professor. If she got hurt, he would be held responsible.

"Now hold your hand out and let him come to you." He finished.

Laney did as he instructed. Buckbeak stared at Laney with extreme caution as he approached her. His beak lightly nudged the palm of her hand before he pushed his head into her arm. A look of pure happiness and thrill washed over Laney's face, and she began lovingly stroking his neck. She looked back at home with a large smile on her face.

"I did it, Draco!" She nearly yelled. He couldn't help but smile back. She looked like a kid at the joke shop.

"Now you get to ride him."

The look was wiped clean off of her face. "What?"

He didn't give her a chance to say no. He hopped on to the back with Laney perched in front of him. Buckbeak reared up then took off to the skies. A scream tore its way from Laney's mouth, and her hands quickly covered her eyes. For the second time within five minutes, Draco felt lighthearted and free. He tilted his head back and let a laugh flow through him.

"Don't laugh at me," She scolded, though her tone was light.

Draco leaned closer so that her back was all the way pressed against his chest. He encircled her wrists with his large hands. Once again, he talked with his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.

"Don't close your eyes. It's a whole new world up here." He resisted the urge to cringe as he quoted the muggle movie Pansy and he had gone to see when they were twelve years old. The memory still made him want to puke.

Their hands dropped onto Laney's lap, and she looked down at the large lake below them. It felt like just yesterday Draco pushed her into it. Nowadays they were stuck in the being nice and being mean to each other. This morning and this lesson were a very good example of that. She liked this side of him though. It showed the boy he would have been if he would have been raised in a happy home.

They flew around the castle once more before Buckbeak landed where they had begun the lesson. Draco hopped off; the sudden weight loss causing Buckbeak to rear up once more. Laney's body fell off the side and crashed into Draco's body. He barely had enough time to catch her in the perfect cradle. Buckbeak trotted off to the side, and Draco knew that he should have dropped Laney to chase after him, but he was too caught up with the girl in his arms. She was looking up at him with the smallest of smiles on her face. There was light red blush growing from her neck to the tips of her ears. He was moved by how beautiful she was. He knew this of course because he would always find ways to look at her without her realizing it.

Even if she were laughing and talking with Potter, he still couldn't bring himself to hate looking at her.

"Draco." She murmured. "You can put me down now."

It was the last thing he wanted to do though. He dipped his head slightly. "I know."

"Then why don't you-?"

Draco didn't give her the chance to finish her sentence. His lips connected with hers in a soft kiss. She gasped into his mouth, and he took the moment to suck her lower lip into his mouth. He resisted the urge to sigh. She was so soft and so warm.

This kiss was different from the other one he gave her. This one was gentle and had less urgency. Draco let her down, but their lips never parted. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist then the other hand dug into her curls. She tilted her head into the kiss, and she rested her hands lightly on his sides. Their bodies were pressed so tightly that if anyone were to walk by, they would probably think they were merged into one.

Draco slowed the kiss with a few soft pecks against her lips. He pulled away, but their noses still brushed against each other. "That should have been our first kiss."

_**I'm so sorry for not updating. Unfortunately, my friend who I grew up with her uncle died. Then I had my sisters and my birthday. It has been a hectic month, but I should be able to update more often now. Tell me what you think!**_


End file.
